Fiorentina have made their double striker deal official, completing the permanent signing of Mateo Pellegrino from Parma for a package worth up to €24.5m and sending Roberto Piccoli to Bologna on loan with an obligation to buy.
Pellegrino, who had also been linked with Juventus, joins the Viola in a full transfer reported at €22.5m plus €2m in add-ons, a fee that trimmed Parma's original asking price of nearly €30m. The Argentine centre-forward scored 12 goals in 39 appearances last season between Serie A and the Coppa Italia, and arrives in Florence as the club's new reference point in attack.
The announcement on Thursday brought the striker merry-go-round that had been taking shape in Serie A over the previous days to a close, with Fiorentina, Bologna and Parma effectively swapping centre-forwards. As part of the same operation, Piccoli moves to Bologna on loan with an option to buy that becomes an obligation if certain conditions are met. According to Sky Sport Italia, those conditions amount to Bologna simply remaining in Serie A. The deal is valued at €18m plus a further €2-3m in add-ons, with Fiorentina retaining a 10% sell-on clause.
